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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > NIGERIAN SPACE AGENCY GETS NEW ROCKS TO THROW AT THE MOON
NIGERIAN SPACE AGENCY GETS NEW ROCKS TO THROW AT THE MOON
November 3 2009
Abuja, Nigeria – The quest for space is something as old as humanity itself. From young children to adults who never really grow up, the dreams of the exploration of space are universally held. Russia and the United States have of course been at the 
forefront of the exploration of the heavens but in recent years countries such as The U.K., China, Japan, and India have all begun throwing their hats into the ring, hoping to expand our knowledge of the beyond and cut their own piece of the galactic pie.
One would expect such ambitious projects from such major nations, countries possessed of sophisticated populations and great wealth but as the reality of space travel comes closer to home countries without those massive resources are also making attempts at reaching the heavens. One of those surprising countries is Nigeria, a country with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and never ending inflation, which in recent years has made major investments in their own space program. With scientists and ‘Space Sailors’ now being trained in Britain, the country has finally received a long awaited shipment of space sticks and rocks which they will use to attempt to reach the moon.
“There is much to learn but we are coping. It’s a big challenge. Talking about space in Africa is kind of a new field but it’s a very big opportunity for us to explore. The weather can be trouble and we try to cope with the food even though it’s not what we eat in Nigeria,” said Gerald Okeke, one of the leading scientists in the Nigerian program. “By being here though we have been able to raise the profile of our country and send back much needed supplies home. This has put our program on the fast track and is a great source of pride for our entire country and all of our people. We are now finally able to enter the ranks of the great nations of the world.”
Okeke also offered us a share of the profits from the space program if we were able to send a small dollar amount. In the interests of journalistic integrity, we declined to participate.
“Even in the U.S. some people are opposed to the space program so we are not surprised this happens here. But we want to assess the problems that have 
devastated this land. We need to monitor our environment, assess problems of flooding, deforestation — all this can only be done if we have a viable space program. Plus after so many years it’s a good idea to think of an astronaut,” said Seidu Onailo Mohammed, CEO of the Nigerian space agency. “This new shipment of sticks and rocks gives us the best opportunity to expand our program. By adding these new levels to our space platform we are that much closer to reaching to moon. The rocks are the perfect size and shape for taking flight through the Earth’s atmosphere and we believe that very shortly we will be able to hit the face of the moon and fully establish ourselves as a space nation.”
Nigeria’s GDP remains lower than it was in 1960, the year it declared independence as a result of their ever increasing inflation rate. Despite that, the country believes it will reach space long before chief rival Zimbabwe which has suffered over 200, 000, 000 per cent inflation, something which has impinged their space program. 
“For the most part countries throughout Africa, at least sub-Saharan Africa, have focused on issues like building the economy, reducing infant mortality, stopping the spread of simply beaten diseases and just generally trying to keep the country afloat. Nigeria though is on the few exceptions and it proves that they are looking towards the future,” said Scrape TV Science analyst Dr. Howard Poe. “They are spending upwards of $20 million a year on the program which dramatically outstrips their competition and will by them a whole lot of sticks, perhaps even proper building material that could get them ever closer to the upper atmosphere and eventually the moon.”
Some international experts are sceptical about the Nigerian efforts, citing serious engineering issues in constructing a tower over 350, 000 kilometres high out of sticks. Breathing in space, they note, will also be an issue.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > NIGERIAN SPACE AGENCY GETS NEW ROCKS TO THROW AT THE MOON
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